THE UPS AND DOWNS OF RUNNING

THE UPS AND DOWNS OF RUNNING

Running is a study of contrasts and contradictions.  It both builds you up and tears you down.  Almost nothing in life can give you the same joys as running.  Almost nothing in life can bring you the same miseries as running.  It is one of the most thrilling and yet exasperating things in which you ever had a part.  It can take you from the mountain tops of hope to the valley of despair within a matter of days.  It can bring you joy and sorrow, rapture and heartaches.  All these things are found in the simple act of running.

Naturally our purpose is to receive all it's benefits, and as few of it's frustrations as possible.  We want the part that enriches our lives; but we would shun those of it's aspects that we feel are detrimental to our well being.  In order to do that, we struggle to understand both the causes and the cures of the sweet sorrows of running.

HERE ARE MY SUGGESTIONS FOR FINDING THE UPS AND AVOIDING THE DOWNS:

1. DON'T PRESS TOO HARD FOR YOUR NEXT PR.  They come naturally, at their own pace and in their own time.  Like seeking happiness, you can strive so hard for it that you eliminate your chances of acquiring it.  You can even wind up miserably unhappy.  So PRs come at the most unexpected times.  You can have three exceptional training sessions, followed by a race that would shame a skunk.  Conversely, you can be terribly disappointed with yourself all week; and still run a great race on Saturday.  In fact, your greatest successes will often follow your most depressing defeats.  So don't try to predict a PR on a given day.   Just do your training, take care of your body, and the improvements will come.

2. GIVE YOURSELF ROOM FOR BAD DAYS.  We all run in cycles.  Some days we are not our best, for totally inexplicable reasons.  We don't measure up to our own expectations; and we don't know why.  So give yourself the benefit of the doubt and look forward to another day.  Perhaps on that day you will be just surprised at how well you do, even under adverse circumstances.

3. MAKE YOUR GOAL TO BE PLEASED WITH YOURSELF.  Not getting a trophy.  Not winning or losing over a competitor.  Not even the time on the clock.  BUT knowing that you have made an honest effort .  .  . that you did not give up .  .  . that you finished when you very much wanted to quit.  These things, if you view them positively, can give you a greater feeling afterwards than coming in first.

4. AVOID UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS.  Road races are very hard to compare with one another.  There are so many variables.  There is temperature, humidity, wind or hills.  There are poorly measured courses, so that even certified courses can vary fifty yards or more; and when you are dealing in seconds that can make a world of difference.  Just take these things in stride; and don't be too disappointed because your last race didn't turn out just the way you expected.  Otherwise you are setting yourself up for disappointment.

5. TRY NOT TO LET RUNNING TOTALLY DOMINATE YOUR LIFE.  Take time for other things as well.  Don't allow your love of running to destroy your relationships with those who do not run, or who are less committed to it than you are.  Find ways to compensate them for the time and effort that you devote to this passion of your life.

6. DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO AVOID DISCOURAGEMENT.  It will defeat you more than anything else and it brings you nothing in return but more discouragement.  It can make you a loser before you even get to the start line; and it can literally wipe you out in the middle of a race.  In contrast, a good positive attitude is priceless.  The CAN DO SPIRIT will keep you going when things get tough.  Even on bad days, it will make you look forward to the next race and it's potential joys.

In running, as in life, the things that can bring you the greatest joy also have the potential to make you the most miserable.  You can't love anything or anybody without exposing yourself to the possibility of being hurt.  That is just the nature of life.  It is also what make the rewards all the more precious.  May you find those unspeakable joys in your running!